Review by Anna on March 8, 2011.

I haven't listened to Black Metal in a long while because I was dying of boredom, but Styggelse has been the antidote!

Spunky, crusty, energetic, and raw, the band's full-length debut was a pleasure almost all the way through. Naturally there are several "recognizable" styles in the music but no doubt Styggelse has a solid idea of who they are and no one else sounds just like them (even though there were several times it sounded very much like newer Horna...). The band name fits the sound well, and the sound fits the music well.

"Heir Today- God Tomorrow" is a collection of well-composed songs suspended in a dirty recording with that grungy basement-show feeling, complete with phlegmy vocals on top. The drums are... "fucking awesome"?! Almost like a less "machine-like" version of 1349's drumming especially on the fill-ins. Can we say, "PLEASURE"??? This is heavy stuff, though I can personally do without the "Swedish"-style Black Metal riffing completely.

If you have grown weary and lifeless from listening to lipstick-wearing Black Metal bands, and found that your dick has fallen off and your balls have shrunken to the size of peanuts, try this one. It is sure to recharge your battery (or, your balls). Styggelse is Sweden's unofficial answer to the nation's dreaded "gay" stereotype, and the best thing to have ever come from Eskilstuna!!!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Anna on March 8, 2011.

I haven't listened to Black Metal in a long while because I was dying of boredom, but Styggelse has been the antidote!

Spunky, crusty, energetic, and raw, the band's full-length debut was a pleasure almost all the way through. Naturally there are several "recognizable" styles in the music but no doubt Styggelse has a solid idea of who they are and no one else sounds just like them (even though there were several times it sounded very much like newer Horna...). The band name fits the sound well, and the sound fits the music well.

"Heir Today- God Tomorrow" is a collection of well-composed songs suspended in a dirty recording with that grungy basement-show feeling, complete with phlegmy vocals on top. The drums are... "fucking awesome"?! Almost like a less "machine-like" version of 1349's drumming especially on the fill-ins. Can we say, "PLEASURE"??? This is heavy stuff, though I can personally do without the "Swedish"-style Black Metal riffing completely.

If you have grown weary and lifeless from listening to lipstick-wearing Black Metal bands, and found that your dick has fallen off and your balls have shrunken to the size of peanuts, try this one. It is sure to recharge your battery (or, your balls). Styggelse is Sweden's unofficial answer to the nation's dreaded "gay" stereotype, and the best thing to have ever come from Eskilstuna!!!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Adam M on February 12, 2019.

Deserted Fear perform a form of death metal that has influences from the general style and melodic death metal.  This combination of ideas makes for an interesting time through the paths of death metal.  They have the bravado of Amon Amarth, but the pure death metal of something like Aborted which is mixed in an interesting and invigorating manner.  The melody on here really caught my attention and gives these songs a groove and life of their own.  The ability of the band to get away from straight death metal makes them more interesting and worthy than a typical band from the genre. 

The songs certainly still have a pummeling nature that will leave you breathless as well.  When taking the melody into account, this hard-hitting aspect has even more potency because of the variety present.  Though mixing different genres of death metal isn’t something completely new it is done so infrequently that one can’t help but be drawn into the music here.  Though many songs reside in the three to four minute range, there are songs like Scars of Wisdom that are longer and add greater variability to the mix.  Could the band be even better.  Sure if they added a progressive aspect they would be even more interesting.  And some of the music from the melodic and standard death metal genres has been done better on its own than it is here. 

This is still a very promising album from the band that sees them loosening the grips on their sound to make it even more compelling.  The future for this band could be interesting, but we’ll have to wait and see.  Drowned by Humanity is a divserse and fulflilling death metal release that gets the blood pumping in a ll the right ways.  Deserted Fear have themselves a minor winner on their hands with this release.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10